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Filmmaker and actor Justin Baldoni (yes, the guy from Jane the Virgin) had filed a massive $400 million lawsuit against actress Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and even The New York Times, claiming that they were involved in spreading false accusations against him. He even tried to drag Marvel into it, saying that the Deadpool & Wolverine character “Nicepool” was a shady reference to him.
But now? A judge has dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit. Yep, it got thrown out, well, most of it.
On the surface, this seems like a big win for Blake Lively. But not so fast.
Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, isn’t backing down. He told TMZ that they’re “just getting started.” According to him, the judge hasn’t shut the door completely. In fact, they’ve been allowed to revise and refile four out of the seven claims against Blake.
Freedman said, “While Blake’s team is out here acting like they’ve won, the truth is, we’ve been invited to come back with stronger evidence and clearer accusations.” He basically accused Lively’s side of celebrating too soon, and said this case is actually about serious issues like false allegations of sexual harassment and an alleged smear campaign, which Lively’s team apparently called “untraceable.”
So what’s is the Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively drama about?
Well, it all started after the release of It Ends With Us, the movie that both Baldoni and Lively starred in. Around six months later, Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and claimed that he tried to ruin her reputation behind the scenes.
That’s when Baldoni hit back with his own lawsuit, accusing Lively and Reynolds of defamation (basically, lying about him in a way that damaged his reputation) and extortion.
While Blake may have scored a temporary legal win by getting most of Baldoni’s claims tossed out, things are still very messy. And it’s not just the courtroom where the fallout is happening.
Sources say this case has also ruined Blake Lively’s longtime friendship with Taylor Swift. Even though the singer was removed from the lawsuit earlier, she’s reportedly not talking to Blake anymore. Oof.
So yeah, the judge might’ve dropped parts of the case, but Baldoni’s side is saying: “We’ll be back.” And judging by the tone of things, this courtroom drama might just be getting started.